


Empty Swimming Pools

by FanFicReader01



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Childhood, Coming of Age, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Suppressed Feelings, Swimming, Swimming Pools, This is probably ooc woops, kid Nikolai is totally in love with Mikhail here lmao, lovestruck nikolai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24716812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01
Summary: He was still very young. Only ten years or even less. It was a surprisingly warm day and most people went to the pool with their family. Not Nikolai. He went alone, encouraged by his Babushka.“You need to make some friends, Коля. And most of all, you need to learn to swim.”OrHow Nikolai meets Mikhail on a faithful day at the swimming pool.
Relationships: Nicholai Ginovaef | Nikolai Zinoviev/Mikhail Victor
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Empty Swimming Pools

**Author's Note:**

> This fic throws out the canon and all realistic depictions of the army lmao to give you this fluff and kinda angsty soft fic about young Mikhail and Nikolai.
> 
> I got inspired and motivated thanks to listening to Troy Sivan's Swimming Pools. So I recommend listening to it to get a feel of the atmosphere lol :P For the mood/setting I also got inspired by Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe where Dante teaches Ari to swim :3 That book is so fucking soft and gentle and sweet like u wouldn't believe omfg. I really recommend yall to read that book it's so good and wholesome.
> 
> Коля = Kolya, diminituve form of Nikolai  
> Бабушка = babushka, grandma  
> Да = da = yes  
> Спасибо = thanks

He was still very young. Only ten years or even less. It was a surprisingly warm day and most people went to the pool with their family. Not Nikolai. He went alone, encouraged by his Babushka.

“You need to make some friends, _Коля_. And most of all, you need to learn to swim.”

So there the boy was, too pale for the afternoon sun, standing at the edge of the pool in only some shorts that now had to double as swim trunks. His toes curled nervously around the edge. Even the water calmly splashing against his feet made him jittery.

“ _Коля_ _, you’re not going to swim, are you?_ ” came the unwanted and vicious voice of Vadim, one of his classmates. Unlike his privileged peers, Nikolai could never afford swim classes. There were other more important things to spend money on, but now Babushka hoped his classmates would somehow see reason and teach their fellow student some lessons. The young boy of course, knew that would never happen.

“Get lost,” Nikolai huffed in response. It was met with booing from the other boys and that one girl, Polina, that was always with them.

The group stalked closer, leaving the boy with the white, silver hair no choice to either continue to stand on the edge or plunge into the foreign waters. Nikolai’s eyes darted over the scene, but there was no lifeguard in sight or anyone who was aware of the situation.

“You gonna call the headmaster? Or your dearest _Бабушка_?” Polina taunted with a venomous smirk.

Vadim then pushed and soon Nikolai was surrounded by the unfamiliar mass of water. His arms and legs automatically started kicking. Despite knowing it wasn’t safe to do, the boy screamed. Big bubbles emerged to the surface while the kid’s voice was drowned out.

“Why did you do that?” one of the peers hissed at Vadim who merely shrugged his shoulders.

“What? I wanted to know for sure if he couldn’t swim.”

“Now you’ve dirtied the water by throwing a rat in it,” Polina rolled her eyes. Her sadistic façade quickly faded when she saw someone running toward them. The group of kids quickly ran away, leaving Nikolai helplessly alone in the water. The boy tried to scream whenever his head managed to get out of the heavy water. Is this what his mother must’ve felt like in her final moments? His pleas for help were surprisingly quickly answered. Someone jumped into the pool and Nikolai suddenly felt strong arms wrap around his body, getting him to the surface again. Before he knew it, he was back on the concrete, coughing and spluttering. Once he got back to his senses and could breathe properly again, he tried to look at the person who saved him.

A young man with short, almost strawberry blonde hair and dark blue eyes looked at him with the warmest smile Nikolai had ever received, besides the one from his grandma.

“T-thank you,” the boy stammered.

“It’s alright. I should’ve seen it earlier. Should be more alert next time or else I’m doing a poor job as a lifeguard.”

“But you’re so young?”

“I’m already nineteen,” the rescuer grinned. “Name’s Mikhail. What’s yours?”

“N-Nikolai. I’m sorry for wasting your time on me,” Nikolai muttered his reply, this time avoiding eye contact.

“Hey, wait up, it’s my _job_ to rescue people like you!” Mikhail countered.

“But I can’t swim. So I shouldn’t be here anyway,” Nikolai snorted, feeling guilty.

Mikhail frowned. “But you want to? Swim?”

“Sort of. My babu-, I think it’s useful if I know at least the basics.”

The older boy nodded in agreement and crossed his arms. “Are you free tomorrow, Nikolai?”

“Да?”

“Great! Tomorrow at the same time you come here and I’ll teach you how to swim!”

“You serious?!” Nikolai exclaimed, almost jumping up in disbelief. Why would Mikhail, basically a total stranger, teach him?

“As serious as I take my new job here.”

“How much will it cost?” the boy wanted to know.

“Nothing.”

As Nikolai walked back home, wrapped in a towel Mikhail gave him, he wondered what made that guy act so friendly. Most adults he’d met so far in his young life, always demanded something from him, expected something. Maybe it was because Mikhail was still a _young_ adult. Maybe that’s why.

“Hey, where did you get that towel from, _Коля_?”

“Those boys you thought were going to teach me, _Бабушка_? They threw me in the water! So then this guy Mikhail saved me and gave me his towel.” There was a hint of blame in the boy’s voice and his grandmother looked away for a second. She should’ve known better.

“Oh, that’s very nice of that Mikhail. You should thank him with money. Or with some alcohol.”

“He doesn’t want me to repay him, _Бабушка_. By the way, tomorrow he is going to teach me how to swim.”

The old woman’s eyes widened and then she smiled. She walked over to her grandson and patted his cheeks. “That’s great news, _Коля_! Then you definitely need to bring him something.”

***

The following day, Nikolai went to the pool despite the bad weather. In one arm was the towel Mikhail had given him. In the other he had a bottle of wine. One of those bottles his grandma only used on special occasions. They were frugal with money so this was a grand gesture. Nikolai looked up. The skies were grey and the pool was empty safe for one person. Mikhail. The one he’d promised to visit.

“ _Коля_!” the young man exclaimed as he waved at the boy. Usually, Nikolai didn’t like adults, or even peers, using that nickname. Somehow, it felt okay when Mikhail called him that.

“I thought you weren’t going to show up because of the weather.”

“As long as there’s no thunder,” Nikolai replied. Mikhail smirked. “That’s the spirit.” He took over the towel he’d lend the boy and placed it on one of the benches. Then he gave a questioning look at the bottle.

“My grandmother wanted you to have this. For saving me and teaching me how to swim,” Nikolai said as he quickly put the wine in Mikhail’s hands.

The young man laughed as he put the bottle next to the towel. “Спасибо! I prefer to stay sober but maybe tonight, it will come in handy. Anyway, let’s move.” The young boy was kind of embarrassed when the older guy led him to the baby pool.

“You have to get familiar with the water first. Feel it all around you in safer surrounding.”

And then Mikhail taught him how to stay afloat. Arms and legs spread like a sea star. The initial fear and panic, caused by those brats of yesterday and the memory of his mother, subdued. He only had to focus on Mikhail’s soothing voice and the sky above him. Even while the water sloshed into his ears, the other guy’s voice sounded so calming. In the sky, more clouds clotted together. It started raining. Somehow, Nikolai thought it was a beautiful setting. Just the two of them in the otherwise empty swimming pool. The world was theirs.

After his first lesson, they remained in the baby bath splashing and fooling around. Nikolai wondered if this was what it meant to have a brother or a friend.

When the rain started to come down harder than before, Mikhail brought Nikolai back home. He introduced the boy to his ‘motorcycle’.

“It’s a bike,” Nikolai didn’t hide his disappointment.

“I can go really fast on it though,” Mikhail said and then he showed him. Am I that light, Nikolai thought. Nikolai held onto the older guy as he raced through the streets while he had to give him directions.

When Mikhail met his Babushka, the two got along rather well. She even invited the young man for dinner but Mikhail politely declined the offer.

“How did your first class go?”

“Good. Mikhail really knows the waters more than I do. He’s a great teacher so far.”

“That warms my heart. He seems to be a kind spirit too.”

He definitely is, Nikolai thought.

***

On the third class, they finally moved to the real pool. Mikhail jumped in first and started going through the motions, which came so naturally to the guy. Nikolai was almost envious on how gracious he swam. When he tried, it was all sloppy arms and wonky legs kicking trying to stay afloat.

“Calm down, _Коля_ , the water is _not_ your enemy,” Mikhail chuckled. He guided the boy to a shallow part where both could stand up. Again, the lifeguard explained and showed how to swim. Then he supported Nikolai’s body as the boy tried to mimic the moves. At the end of the session Mikhail told him he did a good job.

“You’re a quick learner.”

“Really?”

“Да. I bet you can achieve a lot in life, when you grow older,” Mikhail genuinely smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder. Nikolai returned his smile with all he got.

***

When Mikhail was guarding the place, Nikolai admiringly watched.

“What are you looking at, _Коля_?” The otherwise endearing nickname granted and used by his grandmother and now Mikhail, was once again spit like a curse. Vadim stood there with a smirk. Even when he was alone, the guy was a head taller and intimidating as hell. Nikolai wished he could claw that smirk off the boy’s face. But he remained calm. He shouldn’t start a scene. Especially not with Mikhail present.

“Nothing. Move along.”

“You finally know how to stay afloat?” Vadim mockingly asked.

“Yes,” this time it was Nikolai wearing a smirk. The other boy didn’t believe him and stepped closer. On his own, the silver haired boy jumped into the pool. He stuck out his tongue as he resurfaced. Vadim’s face was one of shock. Anger. The boy jumped into the water too and swam over to Nikolai. The two got wrestling. Nikolai found it more difficult to hit the other guy while being held underwater. Suddenly their bodies got separated by a third force. When Nikolai swum back to the surface he could see what was happening. Mikhail forcibly dragged Vadim ashore.

“What the hell did you think you were doing? Drowning other people?”

Nikolai watched with his mouth agape. He had never seen Mikhail this pissed off before. And he had never seen Vadim this scared before. The boy was a stuttering mess. Nikolai couldn’t help but grin at the scene unfolding. The two seemed to be further arguing. Their voices mainly drowned out by the water and chattering people around Nikolai in the pool itself. But the boy audibly gasped when he watched the usual calm Mikhail suddenly slapped Vadim’s cheek. The impact was big enough for the boy to stumble back.

“Y-you’re one of them soldier boys, aren’t you? You sick fuck!” Vadim ran off, _crying_ , with one hand on his burning cheek. Mikhail turned to Nikolai and reached out his hand. Without much effort he pulled the boy out of the pool. “Everything alright?”

“Why d-did you hit Vadim?”

“You know him?” Mikhail asked concerned.

“He’s a classmate.”

“Oh. He’s a piece of shit,” Mikhail huffed. “I’m sorry you had to see that. But he called me and you a bad word.”

“What word?”

“You don’t want to know,” Mikhail sighed.

“Is it true what Vadim said? You, being a soldier?” Nikolai asked out loud.

Mikhail looked away for a second before facing the small boy. He nodded. “Да. I’m still in training but got lucky to be send here for the summer.”

“T-that’s kind of cool,” Nikolai whispered. But the older guy shook his head.

“You don’t want to be a soldier, _Коля_.”

***

Summer ended too soon. Well, more like, _Mikhail_ left too soon. Suddenly he got summoned for duty again. Nikolai watched in disbelief as the older guy quickly got dressed again to join the man in the uniform.

“So you’re leaving _now_?”

“Army’s orders,” Mikhail said. He didn’t seem to be happy about it either. But for Nikolai he put up a smile. He gestured the younger guy to come over to him. Nikolai quickly got out of the pool and ran up to Mikhail who then patted his wet hair.

“Don’t worry, _Коля_. Once I’ve got some free time I’ll visit you. Until then, just wait here, patiently. Okay?”

“Can’t I come with you?” Nikolai asked before he could think twice. The man in uniform gave the boy a disapproving look. _Too weak._ It was readable on the guy’s face.

“You can’t, _Коля_. I’m sorry. Anyway, I have to go. See you around.”

Nikolai was left behind. One day, he would be able to walk next to Mikhail as an equal.

_Ten years later_

The army’s pool was much bigger than the one in his hometown. Really modern and bright. It was the place for both training and relaxation. Nikolai had figured out that after midnight, the place was still open but unoccupied. There were no rules of who was and who was not allowed to enter. So Nikolai saw that as a free pass. After rigorous training sessions, he liked to unwind in the water. Cold at first, lukewarm and comforting as time went by. Who would’ve thought that the water would become his friend after the initial fears he had? When Nikolai had swum his meters he’d like to just float and look into the bright lights above him. Superficial sky with superficial suns.

Against all odds, he’d made it into the army. Obviously, it had helped that his Babushka had passed away by the time he turned sixteen. Of course, he had mourned, he still did, but he was sure that if she were still alive, she’d keep him away from the army. But the army was his only ticket to see Mikhail again, or so Nikolai had foolishly hoped. After the older guy had been send away, he had never returned. There had been sleepless nights where Nikolai thought about all cruel ways the guy could’ve met his end. Sometimes he’d dream about it too. However, he still wanted to become a soldier. That way, he could get closer to Mikhail. Even if the guy was indeed dead, Nikolai could still strive to _be_ like him. Kind and brave.

Now that he was finally in the army, he’d never encountered Mikhail. Only in the archives his name was written. As far as he was aware, there were no death reports about him either. There was still some hope to meet his idol again. Nikolai closed his eyes for the lighting became too bright. He instead focused on the water. How it cradled him and his sore muscles. The usual buzz of the world around him got interrupted by subtle footsteps. Nikolai pretended not to hear it.

“Look who we have here,” a voice with a Russian accent pierced through the silence.

“You going to kick me out?” Nikolai muttered, still not opening his eyes.

“You? Never. You belong here, in the waters, don’t you, _Коля_?”

Nikolai’s eyes snapped open. For a mere second he forgot how to swim and went under. He emerged again and swam to the edge where the other man stood. Now _that_ was a face he hadn’t seen for awhile.

“Mikhail?” he had to be sure.

“The one and only,” Mikhail smirked and reached out a hand. This time, he clearly had more difficulty with pulling Nikolai out of the pool. Amazement and surprise was mutual.

“My, you’ve grown, _Nikolai_ ,” Mikhail remarked the noticeable height difference between them. “How long has it been?”

“Too long,” Nikolai snorted, slightly accusing as he crossed his arms. “Almost ten years.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy,” Mikhail apologised. “ _Army_ kept me busy,” he then corrected. “I really did plan to come back.”

“Apparently,” Nikolai huffed in disbelief. Ten years were a lot. For all he knew Mikhail had changed into god knows what kind of man. But when their eyes met, there was that same warmth radiating off of him. Even when there were already a few sharp lines etched into his face, there was something young and soft about him. Mikhail was sporting some stubbles. Before Nikolai could stop himself, a hand came to rest on the older man’s cheek.

“You’ve grown as well,” he muttered.

“In looks, yes. Definitely not in height,” Mikhail chortled amused. “But look at you. Becoming a rugged, handsome young man yourself. You are no longer that skinny helpless kid I met at the pool.” Somehow, that remark made Nikolai blush. Mikhail thought he was… handsome?

“I barely recognised you. That’s how much you’ve changed, physically.”

The two guys walked over to a bench to rest and talk some more. “Then how did you know it was me?” Nikolai was curious.

“Believe it or not, it wasn’t because of your hair colour. It was the way you laid in the water. Your posture. That hasn’t changed much since the last time we met. Though you’ve become stronger and more confident. I like that.”

Nikolai grinned. “I did it for you.” His comment seemed to have caught Mikhail by surprise.

“Oh, really?”

“ _Д_ _а_. I wanted to be like you when I grew up. I wanted to join the army because of you. Not because patriarchal beliefs, not for the Motherland or anything like that but for _you_ ,” Nikolai then confessed.

Mikhail chuckled. “Oh, wow. I feel quite honoured but I’m no good role model, Nikolai. Good people don’t really sign up for a killing job.”

“You’re a good man,” Nikolai insisted. Was it his nostalgia, his youthfulness that _wanted_ Mikhail to be a good man? That painted and visualised him like that? Was Mikhail telling him now that his image of him had been clouded by idolisation all this time?

“Maybe I am,” Mikhail quietly rethought. He looked at his hand. Nikolai did too and entwined his with the older guy. His hand felt much rougher and calloused. This would be Nikolai’s future body too.

Nikolai’s heart started to beat faster and faster as he closed the distance between him and Mikhail. First their bodies, shoulder to shoulder. Then the younger man got even closer and then their lips connected. The unexpected kiss was tantalizing. The flush on Nikolai’s cheeks immediately spread like a wildfire over his entire body. The coolness from getting out of the water was completely washed away.

“You _are_. You helped a wimpy kid like me learn to stay afloat in this world when nobody asked you to, when nobody else cared,” Nikolai said in a low voice after breaking their kiss. Dark blue eyes stared back into his grey irises.

“I didn’t know I could feel like this about anybody, about _you_ ,” Mikhail muttered, his eyes fixed on Nikolai’s thin lips. Whatever he had felt toward the guy when they were younger, it was something brotherly, amicable, protective. But now, in this short moment all kinds of feelings tumbled onto the older guy. Something he hadn’t felt before. Something he didn’t know he _could_ ever feel for anybody. While his peers started dating, sleeping around with women, Mikhail could never. Now, looking at Nikolai, those ten years suddenly seemed so… not long ago. Maybe that kiss was all that was needed for them to catch up to each other. Strange. Beautiful, definitely.

Mikhail hesitatingly initiated another kiss. Nikolai happily received and returned it with youthful vigour. He wished for this moment to last forever. If not for now, then for later when he might be bleeding out on the battlefield. Hopefully, on Mikhail’s side.

**Author's Note:**

> So i was considering to push the story further into the present part but I wasn't ready myself for writing more angst lol.  
> So there you have it, sort of a soft fic for these two. They start off as friends, maybe something brotherly but end up being closer and more intimate and maybe even romantic involved with each other :')
> 
> And ofc Nikolai had to have some sort of tragic backstory :P
> 
> In this hc, they're both gay but just don't know it yet or want to realise it. After this part of the fic, I imagine Nikolai and Mikhail meeting more often at the swimming pool whenever they have the chance and time :3


End file.
